


and the spirit can only endure

by kyoufushi81



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-04
Updated: 2014-11-18
Packaged: 2018-02-24 01:29:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2563259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyoufushi81/pseuds/kyoufushi81
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even though the streets are also known as home and nights are spent on guard against drunkards and gangs, when it's time to leave the nest, the most terrifying thing is the unknown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. on my way

**Author's Note:**

> This took a long, long time. Hope you guys like it.

                “Kaia.”

                “Mm?”

                “I know you’re not coming back.”

                “And why would you think that, Mai?

                “I can just tell,” says the younger girl, trying to stay calm. “And plus, you can’t stay with us forever.”

                Kaia pauses for a moment, taking in Mai’s observation. “You make it sound like my leaving is a bad thing. Is it possible that-?” She stops, letting her question ask itself.

                “Wh-what? Of course not!” Mai stammers. “I mean, not like that! I’ll miss you, but I’m fine with you leaving. I can take care of these kids by myself. No offence, but I’m as much of their big sister as you are.”

                She turns away, expecting Kaia to get annoyed at her remark, but only gets a sigh. “You really have grown up, Mai.”

                “Yeah, I have. I’m not that thieving nine-year-old you found on the streets five years ago anymore.”

                “I guess I’ll just have to accept that now, eh?”

                “Definitely.  And I’ll take guard tonight. As much as you try to pretend you’re superhuman or something, you still need sleep.”

                Kaia shoots her a withering glance, but relents. “Fine, but I don’t want you being guard every night after I’m gone. Let Isamu have some responsibility, too.”

                Mai huffs and turns away in irritation at being found out, but can’t get angry with Kaia. As much as her sister’s protectiveness irritates her, she’s glad that at least someone cares about her.

But she isn’t about to reveal that.

#

                Kaia had sworn she wasn’t going to cry, but seriously, the looks on her family’s faces are making her go all teary eyed. Hell, even Site’s sniffling and wiping at her eyes. _Stay strong, dammit,_ she tells herself. Trying not to have an absolute meltdown, she smiles reassuringly and reaches out to give them all one more hug.

When she reaches Mai, she whispers into her ear, “Take care of them for me, alright?”

She’s met with a solemn nod – a salute - as she turns and walks away.

#

“That’ll be 70 Jenny, please!” says the young girl selling tickets.

“70? For a simple boat ride?” exclaims an incredulous Kaia. “I can buy a shirt and five loaves of bread with 70 Jenny, and you want me to pay that amount for a _boat ride?_ ”

The salesperson looks a little intimidated, but forces herself to reply. “I-I’m sorry miss, but 70 is already much cheaper than our usual price of 100.” She gulps and shrinks back in her seat as her customer’s aura begins growing dangerously murderous.

“Get me your manager, and maybe I’ll kill him instead of you,” she snarls, adding in a little growl for effect. (She’s not actually that angry, but hey, anything for a good deal, right?)

“R-Right away, miss!” squeaks the girl.

A few moments later, a skinny man with wire rim glasses comes striding towards her. “What seems to be the problem here?” he inquires

“The problem here, mister, is that you are ripping me off!” Kaia says. “I need a boat ride to get to the Hunter examination site, and I know that it shouldn’t cost this much!”

She’s met with a calm expression, though it’s clear that the manager is feeling the pressure. “Well, I can most certainly offer you a deal. Would 65 be sufficient?”

He soon realizes how big of a mistake he had made when Kaia’s fist comes sailing less than a centimetre over his balding head. “Next time, I won’t be so nice,” he hears. “I’ll pay 45, and no more, unless you want your head taken off.”

Trembling, he stammers, “O-Of course, miss. S-Sorry for the inconvenience.”

A few minutes later, Kaia strides triumphantly on to the boat, amidst some curious glances from those who had seen her earlier exchange with the ticket seller. She finds a comfortable corner and sits herself down.

As more people begin to file in below deck, Kaia looks up from picking at her cuticles to be met with quite the array of people just like her, who wanted to become hunters for their own reasons. When the space is almost filled, a man who she thinks is the captain comes below deck and announces, “We will be leaving soon, everyone. The boat will arrive at Yorknew city, where the exam is being held, in 53 hours and 32 minutes!”

When the ship finally departs, excited chatter begins amongst the candidates. Using this as an opportunity to survey her potential competition, Kaia starts watching every single person below deck with her. There are some people who she thinks she should stay away from, and others who look so weak that she wants to punch them right there for even trying to attend the exam. If you want to live through the exam, you have to know that it’s for the highly skilled, not beginners.

_Better get some sleep,_ she thinks. _Who knows when I’ll be able to sleep once the exam starts?_

Kaia has never slept so long- or so well. At home, she stays up most nights, guarding her family from criminals and gangs prowling the streets. On the boat, however, she has no one to guard, and lets the waves lull her into a deep and dreamless sleep..

                                   #

When the ship docks, Kaia isn’t in a hurry to get off the ship. When she does, the first thing she notices is the huge and sprawling city before her, a web of interconnecting streets, giant buildings and _so many people._ Having grown up in Zaban City, this isn’t too much of a change, but she is still awed by the sight of this amazing place. Part of her wants to race up the skyscrapers and dash from rooftop to rooftop, just taking in the sights, but she resists the urge. Maybe she will one day, after she’s become a hunter.

_Where am I supposed to go now?_ Kaia wonders. She doesn’t have anything to help her- no map, no cell phone, and only about 50 Jenny in her pocket. The people who had been on the boat with her aren’t any help, either- the moment they get off the ship, they all go off in different directions.

If Mai were here, she’d have already bought return tickets and walked back on to the boat, telling Kaia not to wander off in a place they’d never been before. Had Isamu been here, he would have wanted to explore and run free, probably getting himself lost in the maze of streets. If Opo and Site had been here, they would have begun arguing about which direction to go in.

God, she misses her family so much. She wants them to cling to her pants and hide behind her while she defends them, wants to shelter them while they sleep, wants to see the delighted looks on their faces when she’s finally saved up enough money to buy them each a small toy.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of someone crying, and she turns around to see a small boy sitting on a bench nearby, crying. Curious, she walks over to him and kneels down. “What’s wrong?” she asks.

The boy stares at her with big brown eyes and blubbers, “M-My mommy…” He trails off as snot begins to run out of his nose. Kaia tears off a bit of her shirt and hands it to him, which he gladly accepts. After wiping it away, he continues. “I g-got lost from my M-Mommy and I d-don’t have any J-Jenny to c-call her.” As he speaks, he points over to a large telephone booth.

At first, Kaia is hesitant to give him any money, but she gives in to the sad look on his face. “Will five be enough?” She reaches in to her pocket and pulls out the money. The boy grins at her.

“Yep!”

After he has made his phone call, he walks over to Kaia and says, “My mommy says she’s at home, so I have to go.”

                “Do you want me to go with you?” asks a concerned Kaia- she doesn’t want anything happening to this boy, even though helping him has taken a good half hour of her time.

                “Okay!” agrees the boy cheerfully. “Anyways, my mommy will want to meet you because you helped me!” He starts off towards one of the roads leading towards the city, leading a still slightly wary Kaia.

                When they reach their destination, a small apartment in the centre of the city, a woman is already standing in the lobby waiting.

                “Kichirou!” she exclaims, and scoops the boy into her arms. “Never scare mommy like that again!” Tearful, the boy nods and hugs her warmly, and Kaia deliberates leaving, but the boy’s mother looks up at her. “Please, come in for some tea. It’s the least I can do to thank you for bringing back my son,” she says.

                “Oh, no, I really can’t,” Kaia apologizes. “There’s nothing to thank me for.”

                “I won’t take no for an answer,” she insists, and, grabbing Kaia’s arm, begins marching towards the elevator. _Well,_ thinks Kaia, _I guess another fifteen minutes won’t hurt,_ and she follows the boy and his mother into the elevator.

                The apartment turns out to actually be a very warm and welcoming place, as Kaia notices, sitting down on a comfortable sofa. The mother comes in and out of the kitchen, putting  down a pot, several cups and finally, sitting down herself.

                “So, tell me your name,” she asks once she’s seated comfortably on a chair across from Kaia.

                “Kaia,” she replies. “Kaia Eldefjall.”

                “And I take it you’re going to the Hunter examination?”

                Kaia pauses. “How did you know that?”

                The woman laughs, then explains, “A strong young girl like yourself who just happens to arrive on the same day as a boatload of amateur hunters? It’s pretty clear to me.” She pauses, then adds, “And one more thing, Kaia. For helping me in such a time, let me do you one more favour.”

                “What is it?”

                “I have a friend who’s a navigator- he helps people get to the exam site. If you’ll let me, I’ll have him come over.”

                Kaia breathes in sharply. “Really?” The woman nods, and Kaia feels a wave of satisfaction wash over her.

                She’s on her way to the exam.


	2. realized capacity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And there’s a sizzling pain, spreading quickly through her arms and legs. She almost falls to the ground, but the part of her mind that’s still functioning through the agony pulls her up and sends her sprinting in the other direction.
> 
> When she’s a good distance away, she finally collapses on the ground, hoping that there are no pieces of metal framework sticking out from underneath the rubble of a building she’s found herself on. Now that the adrenaline has worn off, her mind is beginning to get fuzzy, her vision blurry and she can’t move her fingers.
> 
> Then it strikes her.
> 
> Is this death?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all you people who might read this and think that Biscuit is still a double star hunter, it's been almost ten years since the time of Gon and Killua, so.

                Kaia doesn’t really understand why she had to arrive at Yorknew City when the actual examination is being held elsewhere.

 

                “We’ve all been positioned in Yorknew,” her navigator tries to explain. “It makes the exam a little harder, especially for the idiots who think they can make it alone.”

 

                They’re on an airship to get to the exam site, which, according to the navigator, had been built on top of the famous Heaven’s Arena. With no accessible entry from the Arena itself, the only way to get there is on an airship that only candidates accompanied by a navigator are allowed on to. When they land, the navigator has to show a special form of I.D. that will let them pass in to the site.

 

                Why there are so many rules, Kaia might never know.

 

                “We’re here, Kaia-san,” the navigator says, snapping her out of her thoughts. “After we pass through the gates, I won’t be seeing you again, so I’ll take this time to say that it was a pleasure being your navigator. I have the utmost faith in you, so try your best!”

 

                Kaia nods. “Let’s go, then. And, uh, thanks. You know, for helping me get this far.”

 

                The navigator shows his I.D. to the person waiting at the gate and steps back, giving Kaia one final nod as the gates close. She looks back for a moment as the airship takes off and nods back.

 

                Then, she walks in to the overwhelming sea of people.

 

                “Hello! Please take a number card, as it will be your identification for the rest of the exam. Do not lose this card, or else you will be disqualified immediately,” pipes a voice from behind Kaia.

 

She reaches in to the box held by a young girl (presumably the source of the voice) and pins the card she takes out to her shirt - she’s number 109, meaning she’s also most likely the hundred and ninth applicant to arrive – and wonders how many there will be after her.

#

“Please listen up, everyone!” calls the young girl from earlier. It’s been a few hours since Kaia arrived, and now, if she’s watched and counted correctly, there are about 750 applicants. Once everyone has settled down and is watching the announcer, she gestures to another, even younger girl beside her, who really can’t be older than eleven years old. “This is Biscuit Krueger, a triple star treasure hunter. She’ll be your examiner for this stage, so make sure you pay attention to what she tells you!”

 

Biscuit (how such a young girl is already a triple star hunter, Kaia doesn’t know) takes the microphone. “As you already know, my name is Biscuit, but you can call me Bisky- that is, if you pass the first stage, which will be all about one-on-one combat.” The crowd is silent, awaiting her further instructions.

 

“Now,” she continues, “we have practically no information on you nobodies right now, so we can’t match you up based on raw abilities. Instead, you’ll be paired up randomly!”

                “What’s that supposed to mean?” calls someone from the crowd.

 

                “Yeah, how’s that even fair?”

 

                Biscuit clucks her tongue. “I haven’t finished explaining yet. You won’t be fighting each other, you’ll begin with a selection of opponents from the hundredth floor of the actual Arena. The winners of the first round will then fight people from the 150th round, and then whoever’s left will move on to the next stage.” She pauses and adds, “Weapons and killing are both permitted.”

 

                Combat should be pretty easy, Kaia thinks- she’s been in hundreds of street fights, knocked out so many people to defend herself. But what if – she doesn’t want to consider the possibility, but she knows there’s always a chance – what if they’re a stronger nen user than her?

 

#

 

                The moonlight illuminates the young girl’s bold features as she gazes out through the broken window, watching for the smallest movement, listening intently for the slightest noise. She rubs at her eyes sleepily, trying to ward off the strong arms of Morpheus; but despite her weariness, she remains alert.

 

_“So, you know how nen works now, eh?”_

 

_She starts and shrinks into the shadow, thinking she’s been seen. Her waif-like frame tenses up in preparation for yet another fight, but the person she hears isn’t talking to her. Rather, it’s a conversation outside of the vacant and crumbling building she’s watching from. Nimbly, she dashes in the other direction out of the doorway and up the wall outside, so that she can have a better view. This unknown concept, ‘nen’, intrigues her._

 

_Looking from above, she sees it’s a man talking to a fat young boy, who is nodding in answer to his master’s question._

 

_“Yes, master! Nen is the harnessing of one’s aura, in which you use that aura-“_

 

_“Shut up, boy. I know very well that you are aware of the concepts of nen. Now, it’s time for your initiation”_

 

_“Initiation?”_

 

_“I’m going to awaken your aura nodes with a strong blast of nen, enabling you to then control your aura.”_

 

_The boy looks scared now, and is backing away slowly. “W-Wait, a blast? Of nen?”_

 

_“Yes, silly child. Stand still.”_

 

_“I don’t think I want to do this anymore, master.”_

 

_“You asked for this, so you’ll get it. Stand still!”_

_Kaia’s getting really tired now, and she’s had to catch herself more than one time now from_

_falling off. She doesn’t like the angry expression on the man’s face and thinks she should go intervene, but would it be worth it?_

 

_“I’m going to do it now. Brace yourself.”_

 

_“N-No, master, please! I don’t want to learn nen anymore, no way!”_

 

_Maybe it’s the terrified look in the boy’s eyes, or plain curiosity, but Kaia finds herself jumping down from the crumbling rooftop, in front of the boy._

 

_Just as his master’s palm connects with her chest._

 

_And there’s a sizzling pain, spreading quickly through her arms and legs. She almost falls to the ground, but the part of her mind that’s still functioning through the agony pulls her up and sends her sprinting in the other direction._

 

_When she’s a good distance away, she finally collapses on the ground, hoping that there are no pieces of metal framework sticking out from underneath the rubble of a building she’s found herself on. Now that the adrenaline has worn off, her mind is beginning to get fuzzy, her vision blurry and she can’t move her fingers._

 

_Then it strikes her._

 

_Is this death?_

 

#

 

                “Number 109, Kaia-san! Please come up to the podium to be escorted to your battle!”

                Kaia pulls herself up stiffly and walks towards the waiting attendant, stretching her limbs and cracking her knuckles. They take an elevator up, and when they reach the stadium, Kaia is completely awed.

 

                There are flashing lights and an enormous crowd cheering so loud it hurts her ears, and at the top, an announcers’ box.

 

                “Our next challenger, Kaia Eldefjall, number 109! Will she be the 35th examinee to be defeated by Abner, or will she mark the end of his winning streak? We’ll know once the battle begins!”

 

                The attendant motions for her to take the podium, and she climbs the stairs to face the man who has defeated 34 before her.

 

                “And begin!” cries the announcer, sounding far too cheerful for a place like the Heaven’s Arena.

                Abner sneers at Kaia. “I’ll give you one chance to leave now, little girly, unless you have a death wish.”

 

                But Kaia doesn’t listen to him. Instead, she begins walking calmly towards him, wearing a placid expression. She’s faced people like him before in far worse situations- cocky bastards whose barks were worse than their bites, and wonders how he managed to defeat _34_ people.

 

                “Hey! Are you listening to me? I won’t go easy on you, you know. If you die, you asked for it!” he says, and charges towards her, but he’s already too late. By the time his punch reaches the place Kaia had been standing (with a confident, “Die!”), she’s already leapt up and behind him. He stumbles for just a second and then rights himself, but that small opening is all Kaia needs to deliver a set of swift punches to his beefy back. When he turns around in anger and surprise, he’s met with a roundabout to the ankles and is down.

 

                Kaia waits expectantly as he pulls himself up, growling in obvious anger.

           

                “Why, you-“

 

                Bam.

 

A solid uppercut to his stomach and he goes flying out of the ring, into the audience.

 

                “And Kaia is the winner!” the announcer says jubilantly, though she doesn’t really see the point of all the celebration. Guys like that are all looks and no actual muscle, and she wonders how he actually made it to floor 100 of the Heaven’s Arena.

 

                Whatever, she thinks. At least she’s able to continue.

 

                When Kaia enters a different waiting room filled with people she thinks also made it past the first round, she’s slightly disappointed by the amount that they started out with has dwindled down to. As the fights go on, with about 600 people still after her, she finds herself slowly nodding off, probably more out of boredom than actual fatigue.

 

                Seriously, who even takes that long in a fight against an opponent like hers?

 

#

 

                Kaia feels like she’s surrounded by warm water, like she could float endlessly, drifting in a sea of tranquility and calm. But it also feels like it’s slowly being drained away, sucked from her being. She feels herself getting sleepier, and begins closing her eyes.

 

_“Wait! Don’t die!” someone pleads, and they’re pumping frantically at her chest, trying to restart her heart. They must realize, though, that it’s not her heart that’s failing, and they stop._

 

_“Uh, your nen! Control your nen!” It’s the fat boy from earlier. He realizes she doesn’t understand what nen is, and through her fuzzy vision she sees him waving his hands around. “Your life energy is fading away! You have to control it. Focus on all your remaining energy and channel it back into your body, or else you’ll die!”_

 

Life energy, huh, _she thinks, slumping against the bricks._ And how do I know you’re not just spouting some random bullshit? _But she knows that listening to this boy is her last chance of survival, so she tries._

 

If my so called ‘life energy' is being drained like water, I guess I’ll just have to be a more powerful drain.              

 

                She imagines herself as one of the large sewage drains along the side of the road, sucking the rainwater back in to her (and hopes she’ll never have to picture that in her mind again).

 

_Slowly, she feels energy coming back to her body, waking her up from what could have been an endless sleep._

 

_“Y-You. Thank you,” bawls the now crying boy, and Kaia wonders what all the fuss is about._

 

_“Why are you crying?”_

 

_“Because you saved my life!”_

 

_“Yeah, and almost ended mine. You shouldn’t be thanking me in a situation like this. An apology kind of seems more fitting, right?”_

 

_The boy looks at her in surprise, fluids dripping from everywhere on his face, and utters a quick, “Y-Yeah. Sorry.”_

 

_She shrugs. “Eh, it’s no big deal. But you_ could _explain to me what just happened there.”_

 

_“Nen,” he says, and Kaia thinks that if she ever went to school, a teacher might look something_

_like this. “Everything that just happened, everything you just went through. They’re all to do with a concept called ‘nen’.”_

 

                “Nen, huh.”       

               


End file.
